The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more specifically it relates to an electrical connector which has a resilient latching means extending along one side or surface of a housing.
An example of an electrical connector of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model No. 60-123883 wherein a plug electrical connector has a resilient latching arm, which maintains engagement with a mating connector, is disposed along one side or surface of a housing. Protective walls, which prevent damage to the resilient latching arm, are disposed on both sides thereof.
In recent years, in electrical connectors of this type, there have been simultaneous demands for both the accommodation of electrical contacts of a plurality of different types, and a further reduction in overall size. The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which meets these demands. In more concrete terms, the object of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact electrical connector, which is equipped with a resilient latching arm extending along a side or surface of a housing and which accommodates a plurality of different types of electrical contacts inside the housing.
The present invention is directed to an electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having first cavities and second cavities with the second cavities being of larger dimension than the first cavities that respectively accommodate first and second electrical contacts of different shapes and dimensions, and a resilient latching means to maintain engagement with a mating electrical connector is disposed along one side or surface of the housing, a cavity row which includes both the first cavities and the second cavities is located along the surface along which the resilient latching means is located, the first cavities are disposed in positions that overlap with the resilient latching means, and at least some of the first cavities are disposed so that they are positioned inside protective walls that are located on both sides of the resilient latching means for the purpose of protecting the resilient latching means.
The first electrical contacts have contact lances that are latched inside the first cavities, and the second cavities have housing lances that latch the second electrical contacts therein.
The openings of the first and second cavities are lined up in a single row.
First mold-release openings used to mold shoulders that engage with the contact lances corresponding to the first cavities are located in the side of the housing that is separated from the resilient latching means.
Second mold-release openings used to mold the housing lances corresponding to the second cavities are positioned inside the protective walls.
An electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having first cavities and second cavities with the first cavities being smaller than the second cavities, first electrical contacts disposed in the first cavities and second electrical contacts disposed in the second cavities, a resilient latching member on the dielectric housing extending along one side thereof, wherein the first and second cavities extend in a row along the one side of the dielectric housing, protective walls are provided on the one side of the dielectric housing on opposing sides of the resilient latching member, some of the first cavities overlap with the resilient latching member, and the second cavities are located in the protective walls.